Abstract

PEREIRA, Mafalda Costa  and  RIBEIRO, Laura. Stress, catecholamines and cardiovascular risk. Arq Med [online]. 2012, vol.26, n.6, pp.245-253. ISSN 2183-2447.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality worldwide and the number of deaths is expected to increase. in certain individuals, some cardiovascular risk factors such as insulin resistance, obesity, hypertension and dyslipidemia tend to cluster in a single entity, called Metabolic Syndrome (MS). the prevalence of this syndrome is increasing worldwide, as more people adopt the western lifestyle. Among the main features of this lifestyle, in addition to positive energy balance and adverse health behaviors, is psychosocial stress. the stress response leads to activation of two major neurohumoral systems, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the sympathetic-adrenal medulla system which, through the release of cortisol and catecholamines respectively, exert crucial roles upon both cardiovascular function and energy metabolism. However, these systems under the influence of current living standards, particularly when activated repeatedly for prolonged periods, may fail to have an adaptive action. recent studies have highlighted the impact of psychosocial stress on cardiovascular disease, suggesting that increased reactivity to stress, in a sustained manner, can be a predictor of metabolic syndrome and adverse cardiac events. Furthermore, the increase in recovery time after the stressor event is also associated with cardiovascular risk. These evidences might be useful for both the prevention and treatment of CVD. in fact, recent studies suggest that psychological interventions reduce CVD recurrence and mortality.

Keywords : psychosocial stress; catecholamines; cardiovascular risk factors; metabolic syndrome.

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